NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20020076149: Automated Analysis Workstation

2 Pages·0.37 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

I
Health anld Medicine
Automated Analysis Workstation
utomated microscopic analysis of fecal concen- In September 1995, DiaSys introduced its third
trates can be performed at reduced cost, higher product, the R/S 2003. This larger, more advanced
accuracy and with enhanced worker safety by a system standardizes and drives the cost out of routine
new counter top clinical workstation. DiaSys Corpora- urine sediment analysis conducted by larger labs and lab
tion of Waterbury, Connecticut has developed the FE-2, networks. The DiaSys workstations have been named
an easy-to-use workstation for rapid location and the preferred practice by SmithKline Beecham Laborato-
identification of parasites, cysts and ova in human feces. ries, Kaiser Permanente of Southern California, and
Several years ago, information appearing in the many other hospitals and private lab groups.
pages of the NASA Tech Brie$ publication assisted Recently, a fourth workstation product was released
DiaSys's manufacturing of the R/S 2000, the company's to market-the FE-2. This latest technology is a
first product. There is now a family of "RIS" worksta- workstation that automates the process of making and
tions, all of which speed-up, standardize, automate and manipulating wet-mount preparations of fecal concen-
make safer the laboratory analysis of urine sediment. trates. A decrease in time needed to read the sample is
The initial "NS" workstation was made possible in part achieved, permitting technologists to rapidly spot
by coverage of work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory parasites, ovum (eggs) and cysts, sometimes carried in
and Langley Research Center. This stimulated a fast- the lower intestinal tract of humans and animals.
paced roll-out of additional products from DiaSys. The FE-2 workstation corrects the procedural
The success of the R/S 2000 was followed by the shortcomings of current methodologies in several
R/S 1000, another product that standardizes automated significant ways. First of all, no special training is
urine sediment analysis for small hospital labs, physician required to operate the FE-2. To operate, the technolo-
group practices, "stat" labs, and outpatient clinics. gist inserts the instrument's automatic dual aspirator
DisSys Corporation's FE-2
workstation eliminates the
need and cost of disposable
pqettes, microscope slides,
and cover slipsfbr faster
and sajir analysis offecal
Commercial Benefils-Spinoffs
Health and Medicine
into a prepared fecal concentrate and presses the is contained in and manipulated through a sealed
"sample" button on the workstation's control console. system, the technologist carrying out the work is not
Within 5 seconds, a consistent, measured amount of exposed to prolonged inhalation of chemicals such as
concentrate is automatically transferred to the formalin which are conventionally used to process raw
workstation's optical slide assembly (OSA) on the stage fecal material.
of the microscope. Employing the FE-2 is non-invasive, can be
During this process, one chamber of the OSA is performed on an out-patient basis, and quickly provides
inoculated with a small quantity of the fecal concentrate. confirmatory results, says DiaSys Corporation president,
The other chamber is inoculated with an equal mix of Todd DeMatteo. "To the best of our knowledge, there is
fecal concentrate and iodine (for staining) or isotonic no competitive product or system in the market today,"
saline (for dilution) as the lab prefers. Observations of DeMatteo says.
the stained (or diluted) and unstained fecal concentrate
are then ready to begin. Purging the system takes about
7 seconds, after which time the FE-2 is ready to make
the next concentrate slide.
Among its virtues, the FE-2 increases the level of
safety and precision by automating the aspiration,
resuspension, staining or diluting, transfer, presentation,
and disposal of fecal concentrates. Eliminated is the
need and cost of disposable pipettes, microscope slides,
and cover slips. Moreover, because the fecal concentrate
(Specimen courtesy of
Dr. Dwight E Mi& at Saint
Mary's Hospital in Waterbury,
Connecticut.) Parasites in afkcal
sample (at a magnrjkation 8f
100powm) can be aktected by
the FE-2.
Commercial Benefits-Spinoffs